Drummer Leaves TV to Promote Album; Transfer Concert to Benefit Mountains Trust

Chuck Morris, formerly with Cameo, Chaka Khan and most recently saxophonist Paul Russo, has been hired to replace Terri Lyne Carrington as the drummer on “The Arsenio Hall Show.” Carrington gave up her lucrative position--union scale for musicians on a TV show is approximately $1,350 per week--to promote her debut recording, “Real Life Story” (Verve/Forecast), which has been one of the Top 5 contemporary jazz albums on the Billboard magazine charts for several weeks.

“She wanted to leave the show occasionally and go on the road in support of her album,” said Hall musical director Michael Wolff. “But this band isn’t set up that way. It’s not like ‘The Tonight Show.’ You can’t have subs.”

Wolff picked Morris, saying, “We decided to go with a sleeper, a sort of unknown guy who could really commit to being in the band. He’s from the South, and he plays like a New Orleans drummer, with a great back-beat feel.”

Carrington could not be reached for comment.

MOUNTAINS TRUST BENEFIT: The vocal quartet Manhattan Transfer, altoist Richie Cole, singer Kenny Rankin, composer Robert Kraft and groups featuring guitarists Wayne Johnson, Jorge Strunz and Ardeshire Farah are all donating their services this Friday at the Wiltern Theatre in a benefit for Mountains Trust.

“Mountains Trust is a land trust which owns and protects land in the Santa Monica mountains,” said concert producer Michael Skoletsky, “and the proceeds from this concert will go toward purchasing additional acreage.” Since its inception in 1981, the trust has accumulated 1,200 acres which has either been donated to the National Park Service--the organization donated 200 acres last March--or kept as preserves. One of the latter is the Cold Creek Canyon Preserve near Malibu, which is open to the public on a reservation basis.

Tickets for the benefit are $25, or $125 for gold circle, which includes a pre-performance party with the artists. Information: (213) 456-5625, 308-5005.

BANDS ON THE AIR: Big bands from Eagle Rock, Hamilton, San Fernando and Washington high schools will be seen on “Jazz Festival/89,” a half-hour TV show that airs on KCLS (Channel 58). “The bands were selected by judges Ndugu Chancler and John Deichman from 10 semifinalists, who were screened from the many Los Angeles Unified School District school bands that sent in audition tapes,” said Ralph Jungheim, who produced the event in conjunction with Performing Tree Inc. and the school district. The program, taped in April at the Musicians Union on Vine Street in Hollywood, will be hosted by saxophonist Gerald Albright (Locke High School class of 1975) and will air Saturday at 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. and July 2 at 10:30 a.m. Information: (213) 625-6958.

Jungheim--who has produced about a dozen LPs, including Joe Williams’ 1985 Grammy-winning “Nothin’ But the Blues” (Delos)--was in New York last week, overseeing a new LP by singer Ruth Brown, who won a 1989 Tony Award as best leading actress in a musical (“Black and Blue”). “It was a blues date,” said Jungheim--who produced Brown’s last LP, “Have a Good Time” (Fantasy)--”and it was terrific.” No title has been set for the session, which featured saxophonist Red Holloway, keyboardist Bobby Forrester and guitarist Rodney Jones and is due out in August, also on Fantasy.

JAZZ FOR THE SINGLE SET: You’ve heard of “The Love Connection,” now check out the Jazz Connection, an occasional series of events where jazz fans can gather, hear some good sounds and, as promoter-musician Gordon Halligan put it, “hopefully meet new people who like jazz and have similar interests.” Halligan started the Jazz Connection last year and has been holding events steadily since December, either in private homes or at the Le Mondrian Hotel, where his next concert, featuring his own band, will be Saturday. The party runs from 7:30 p.m. until midnight, costs $20, and includes free valet parking, free appetizers and a no-host bar. Information: (213) 662-3639.